On 31 May 2002, the Indian Cabinet approved the government's decision to seek accession to the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) under the terms of UPOV's 1978 Act. This means that India will need to submit its recently adopted law -- the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer's Rights Act 2001 -- to UPOV Council. The Council, which next meets in October, will have to assess whether the law is compliant with the UPOV Convention or requires amendment. Most observers, as well as Indian government officials, expect UPOV to recommend changes to the law if India wants to push through with joining the Union. The same Cabinet meeting also approved the Indian government's decision to ratify the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. See "Govt Approves Ratification of Treaty on Plant Genetics", PTI, New Delhi, May 31, http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/310502/dlnat25.asp. -- GRAIN TITLE: India to join plant IPR convention PUBLICATION: Economic Times (New Delhi) DATE: 1 June 2002 URL: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id= 11504679&sType=1 INDIA TO JOIN PLANT IPR CONVENTION Economic Times Times News Network Saturday, June 01, 2002 NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Friday approved the proposal for India's accession to International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention, 1978 Act. UPOV ensures and recognises intellectual property rights (IPR) to breeders of a new plant variety, and India need not enter into a large number of bilateral agreements with other countries for mutual recognition of plant-breeders' rights. About 50 countries are members at present. The government believes development of new and improved varieties of plants requires substantial investment in terms of skill, material resources and money. It is, therefore, necessary to grant breeders of a new variety the exclusive right to exploit their varieties and continue investments. This would help agri-biotech companies like Mahyco protect their IPR. Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. _ TITLE: India to Join Int'l Plant Protection Act PUBLICATION: PTI via Asia Pulse DATE: 3 June 2002 URL: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/020603/4/bawy.html _ INDIA TO JOIN INT'L PLANT PROTECTION ACT Monday June 3, 2002 NEW DELHI, June 3 Asia Pulse - The Indian government has approved a proposal for the country's accession to an international plant protection Act covering the rights of the agricultural developers. To recognise and ensure the intellectual property rights of the breeders of new plant varieties, the government sign the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention 1978 Act, Federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said. The minister said, after a meeting of the Federal Cabinet, that UPOV member countries enact national legislation granting intellectual property rights to experimental horticulturists, taking into account, skill, time and material resources needed to develop plant resources. To be eligible for protection, varieties have to belong to one of the botanical genera or species on the national list of eligible plant varieties, be distinct from commonly known varieties and be sufficiently homogenous and stable. The benefits of accession to the UPOV convention are expected to be manifold. It will facilitate greater investment in plant breeding activity in the country. The accession of the conventions would provide for the protection of new plant varieties on internationally accepted standards. It would also obviate the need for the country to enter into a large number of bilateral agreements with other countries for mutual recognition of plant breeders' rights. Given India's strength in plant breeding, accession to the UPOV convention will enable breeders to get protection in all convention member countries, the added. (PTI)